Bulimia is a term that means “binge eating”. This behavior has become a common practice among female students in universities and, more recently, in high schools. Not all persons who engage in binge eating require a psychiatric diagnosis. Bulimia can also occur in a normal weight condition associated with psychological symptomatology.
Bulimia nervosa is a disorder in which the behavior of bulimia or binge eating is the predominant behavior. Binge eating is defined as an episodic, uncontrolled, rapid ingestion of large quantities of food over a short period. Abdominal pain or discomfort, self-induced vomiting, sleep, or social interruption terminates the bulimic episode. Feelings of guilt, depression, or self-disgust follow. Bulimic patients often use cathartics for weight control and have an eating pattern of alternate binges and fasts. Bulimic patients have a fear of not being able to stop eating voluntarily. The food consumed during a binge usually has a highly dense calorie content and a texture that facilitates rapid eating. Frequent weight fluctuations occur but without the severity of weight loss present in anorexia nervosa.
In a recent study at the university of Minnesota's Neuroscience Research Center, six patients were studied to evaluate if supplying pulses to the vagus nerve(s) reduces the episodes of binging and vomiting that are the hallmark of bulimia by reversing the physiological changes that occur in the function of the vagus nerve. All patients reported significant reductions in episodes of binging/vomiting. Even more impressive was that the women taking part in the study had severe bulimia and had not responded to numerous traditional treatments.
This patent application is directed to providing electrical pulses to vagal nerve(s) for selective stimulation and/or blocking, to provide therapy or to alleviate the symptoms of bulimia/eating disorders. The method and system to provide electrical pulses may comprise both implantable and external components.